Home Base
by Kay Vegas
Summary: A housewarming party to celebrate Daniel's new home yields an unexpected guest. Sequel to Stealing Home


Home Base 

The sounds of music and laughter spilled out onto the deck and into Daniel's small backyard. Torches were lit on the newly enlarged deck to keep the bugs away and the new hot tub was open and running, waiting for its first occupants of the evening. Tantalizing smells were coming from the grill and several people were gathered around it, giving advice to Chef Teal'c as he flipped burgers and turned ribs.

The door coming from the living room was open, and Daniel smiled as he stood with his back against the doorjamb, one foot in the living room and one foot on the deck. From the living room he could hear the sounds of soft jazz playing on his new sound system, while the music playing on the deck was livelier, hiphop, coming from Cassie's boombox.

It had been a month since Daniel had moved here, and everyone had been urging him to go ahead and have a housewarming party, especially Teal'c. Daniel thought his friend had felt slightly cheated, since he hadn't stayed in his apartment last year long enough to even have a housewarming. A murder investigation will tend to put a damper on things like that.

When Teal'c had volunteered to help him throw the party, Daniel was quick to take him up on his offer. He hadn't exactly had a lot of experience in things like this over the years. Not that Teal'c was an expert or anything, but still Daniel appreciated the support. And now that the party was in full swing, it appeared to be a hit. Everyone looked like they were having a good time, Air Force and civilians alike, and he was finally able to relax and just enjoy himself.

Daniel had been hesitant at first to tell his friends and co-workers about his change of address, dreading the backwash that would come when everyone realized just where he had moved.

Jack O'Neill's old house had only been back on the market two weeks when Daniel had found it quite by accident in a real-estate magazine. He had already sold his other house and literally had nowhere to go when this opportunity had just fallen into his lap. It had been a snap decision, but Daniel had yet to regret his impulsiveness.

It was a great house in a great neighborhood, and Daniel had always loved it. He had always felt at home here. It wasn't a new house by any means, but it was warm and inviting and it had a lot of character.

Now, here he was, two months later, throwing his first party in Ja---in _his _new house. And the rounds of kidding he had been expecting had never even materialized, not even from Feretti, who instead had congratulated him on making a "savvy deal". Go figure.

Sam's reaction, predictably, had been one of wistfulness. Maybe she was just wishing she'd seen it first. But if she was thinking that Daniel was trying to fill a void in his life by keeping a part of Jack close by, she sure was doing a good job of keeping that to herself. Daniel had to admit that thought had certainly crossed his mind, though. That was why Dr. Mackenzie hadn't been on tonight's guest list. He had no desire to be psychoanalyzed by Dr. Feelgood, especially in his own home.

He thought about that lost weekend he had spent in Mental Health, whimpering and drooling on the floor of a padded room, all because Mackenzie was more interested in pumping him full of drugs than in finding the underlying cause of his dementia. No, there was no way that quack was ever setting foot in this house. This was his fortress.

The big surprise had been from Jack himself, whose first reaction over the phone had been that of disbelief. "Dammit, Daniel," he had laughed. "Why didn't you tell me you were interested in buying it? You could've saved a bundle on realtor's fees!" Then he had gone on to tell Daniel about some of the eccentricities of the house, things Daniel would never have thought of looking for or asking about. He had, without even trying, made him feel good about his purchase.

Daniel was just sorry Jack hadn't been able to come to the party. Something had come up at the last minute, something to do with national, if not world security, no doubt.

The party hadn't started until 8:00, but Teal'c had come over about 4:00, and the two of them had been working non-stop until the first guests had arrived. Sam was the first to get there, and before long had unconsciously slipped into the role of unofficial hostess. She was the one who had thought at the last minute to go buy ice. She had also moved Daniel's books and papers off the dining room table, clearing space for the appetizers and side dishes everyone was bringing to go with the burgers and ribs.

General Landry had been among the first group to arrive, and with him were his daughter, Carolyn and surprisingly, Cameron Mitchell. Whether the new doctor and the new leader of SG-1 had arrived together, Daniel didn't know or care. Dr. Lam seemed a little distant to him, not at all like her predecessor, but given his penchant for landing in the infirmary, he was sure he'd get to know her a lot better in the months to come.

She had certainly proven herself invaluable to the SGC already. The eradication of the Ori plague was partly due to her knowledge of infectious diseases, and she had come through for him more than once when he was still bound to Vala through the energy field generated by those alien bracelets.

He was glad to see that she and her father finally seemed to be reaching out to each other. Up until the time General Landry had become ill from the Ori plague, it had been almost painful to see their botched attempts at communication. Daniel had always had trouble understanding how someone could effectively shut a parent out of one's life. He, of course, had never had that opportunity.

After Landry, Lam and Mitchell arrived, things started to pick up fast. Cassie had come, just home from college, sporting a new, shorter haircut and a new boyfriend. Daniel promised himself he would do the substitute father/uncle thing before the night was over and give the guy the third degree. It was the least he could do. Introducing Cassie to Carolyn had been a little uncomfortable at first, but before long the two of them were talking and laughing together like old friends. Leave it to Janet's daughter to make everyone feel welcomed and at ease.

Just about the entire archeology department was here, a first as far as Daniel could tell. As a group they weren't exactly party animals, so it had been a hard sell to get some of them to agree to come, especially Balinski. If anything, the redheaded archeologist was even more socially inept than Daniel had been, pre-Abydos, but even he seemed to be having a good time tonight.

Ferreti was here with his lovely wife, Kathleen, and at the last minute Daniel had invited Simon Wells and his wife, Marcie. They had arrived late and had left early, saying they had to get back to little Janet, but it was good to see them again.

At last count, there were thirty-eight people in and around this tiny house, and the walls were fairly thrumming with their activity. He had assumed that was a number Jack had never topped, but Teal'c assured him that at least forty had been here for Daniel's "wake" during his first year back from Abydos. Daniel wondered how many of this group had been here that day, celebrating his life while at the same time mourning his death. He closed his eyes and shook his head, as though physically trying to remove that thought.

And now, here he stood, one foot in the living room and one foot on the deck. Not only was this his first party in _this_ house; it was the first party he had thrown in _any _house. Daniel thought he'd keep that embarrassing piece of information to himself. He was just getting ready to ask Teal'c if the ribs were done when he heard the doorbell ring.

As he was walking to the front door, he was mentally trying to figure out who wasn't here yet, but the very last person he expected to see at his front door was Major General Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill.

"Jack! My God! What are you doing here?"

"I believe I was invited." He patted his shirt pocket and smiled. "Yep, I got the invitation right here. You gonna let me in or what?"

Daniel just stood dumb-founded for a few seconds until it finally registered that his best friend was standing on his front steps. "I thought you were off-world." He looked over his shoulder, wondering idly where Cassie's boyfriend was and whether he had over-heard his last remark. "I thought you were – you know, _unavailable_…" He made a vaguely circular motion with his hand.

"I was. I'm back. Are you going to let me in, or do I just go on back to Washington and take my housewarming present with me?" For the first time, Daniel realized Jack was carrying a long, skinny package under his arm.

"You brought me a…rifle? " Daniel frowned as he considered his friend's gift.

"What? Oh… I guess it does look like…You'll never know what it is unless you invite me in." Jack was grinning ear to ear, and it occurred to Daniel that he had never seen his friend look quite so relaxed.

"Oh, well, sure! Come on in. You're just in time for dinner." Daniel stepped aside and motioned Jack into what used to be his living room.

"Don't worry, I know where to go. Oh, and by the way, love what you've done with the place…" Daniel grinned sheepishly and followed his friend.

"Hi, campers! I'm ba –ack!" Jack leaned his gift in the corner of the living room and made his way with Daniel onto the deck. Soon he was surrounded by old friends and former comrades in arms.

"Jack! You old warhorse! What are you doing in the Springs?" Hank Landry slapped him on the back. "You remember Carolyn?" He indicated his daughter, who was trying to balance a plate, a beer and shake hands all at the same time.

"Remember her? I hired her. How 'ya doin', Doc?"

"I'm finally starting to get settled in." Carolyn flashed Jack a megawatt smile, which totally transformed her face. "You failed to mention what a zoo it is around here." She handed her beer to her dad so she could shake his hand properly.

"Well, it is that. But I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. How are you getting along with SG-1? And by the way, where is the rest of SG-1?"

"I am here, O'Neill." Teal'c handed his tongs to Siler and came over to join Jack and Daniel on the other side of the deck. He extended his hand and gave Jack a warm smile. "How are you, old friend?"

"Never better, T. Never better."

"Jack! I mean, General… Jack… General Jack…" Sam seemed a little flustered, so Jack took pity on her. "Hi, Sam. You're looking good. Being back with SG1 agrees with you." He pulled her into a loose hug and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. Since his transfer and promotion, their relationship had changed; and even though separated by half a country at times, they both seemed happier, more relaxed.

This was a source of much speculation at Cheyenne Mountain, and Daniel himself was entered into one of the many betting pools on the subject. He was too much of a gentleman to say which one, though.

"Is Cameron going to be here tonight? I haven't seen him since he took me on that joyride a few months ago." Jack released Sam reluctantly, it seemed to Daniel, and started walking the length of the new deck, looking for his replacement on SG-1.

Jack had gone up in an F-302 with Mitchell, more to give his blessing to the younger man than anything else. He hadn't realized until they were airborne that this had been Mitchell's first piloting experience since he had crash-landed in Antarctica the year before. He had risen considerably in Jack's estimation during the short time they had been in the air.

"Over here, General. It's good to see you again, sir." Cameron detached himself from his perch on the railing, at the same time detaching himself from the leggy blond from accounting. Evidently his and Carolyn's arrival together had been a coincidence after all.

"Hey, we're off-duty here. Just call me 'Jack'." Cameron smiled. He really didn't have a response to that, but he also knew there was no way he was going to call a major general 'Jack'.

"Have you been able to keep Daniel out of trouble since I've been gone?" Jack raised his index finger and his eyebrows. "And keep in mind that I have access to all your mission reports." Daniel was now standing just behind Jack and was rolling his eyes in exasperation. He saved Mitchell from what could've been a painful admission by answering for him.

"I'm 'staying out of trouble', _Dad_. And even if I wasn't, that's not Mitchell's responsibility. Believe it or not, I've been an adult for some time now." He balanced his admonition with a grin. "Come on back in the house, Jack. I've got some new personnel I'd like you to meet." He met Cameron's eyes as he herded Jack back inside and acknowledged his silent mouthing of 'thanks' with a smile and a nod.

The rest of the evening was spent laughing and reminiscing, as Jack shared some of his most outrageous stories about the trials and tribulations of serving on SGC's premiere first contact team. He had to keep some of the details rather vague, in deference to the guests who were not Air Force employees at Cheyenne Mountain; but everybody, it seemed, could relate to his funny tales of life on a military base.

Soon the evening turned into an unofficial roast of everyone's favorite archeologist. There was a lot of good-natured kidding going on at his expense, but Daniel endured it all with a smile. He had heard all of these stories many, many times before; but somehow, hearing Jack relate them one more time seemed almost bittersweet.

They really had had a wonderful run as a team, and it was hard to believe it was over now. That particular incarnation of SG-1 was gone, never to be duplicated. New teammates could come and go, but it would never be exactly the same way again.

For the first time, Daniel began to understand what his friends had gone through during that year he had been ascended. He looked around the living room at the faces of the people he was closest to in the universe and wondered, not for the first time, why things had to change. He wished he could just freeze this moment forever.

Gradually the guests began taking their leave. Cameron and the blond had left around the same time, causing another frenzy of bets and speculations. Some things never changed. Teal'c left pretty soon after that, after offering to give rides to a couple of guys who were in no shape to drive back to the base.

He handed Daniel two sets of car keys as he guided his slightly tipsy charges out the front door. "This has been a most successful housewarming, Daniel Jackson. You and I make a formidable pair when it comes to "throwing a party." Daniel automatically started to correct him, before realizing that Teal'c had actually gotten the slang right this time. "That we do, Teal'c. That we do."

Sam was leaving with Cassie and the new boyfriend, much to their chagrin. She was taking her role as Cassie's aunt and protector very seriously, it seemed. She gave Daniel a sisterly kiss before giving Jack one which wasn't quite as chaste. "See you tomorrow, Jack?"

"Count on it. Hey, why don't you come over tomorrow and have breakfast with us?" He realized he was acting like a host instead of a guest, but he hoped Daniel would understand. "I am staying here tonight, right? You told me I'd always have a place to stay when I was in town…" He looked hopefully at Daniel.

"Of course you're staying here. Why do you think I fixed up the guest room? It's a little more like an office/guestroom now, but you're welcome to it."

"Sweet! Come on, Sam. I'll walk you to the car." Daniel watched his two friends as they made their way to the street. He could hear them laughing as they shared a joke and then leaned into one another for support.

A few minutes later, Jack came back inside and joined his buddy as he finished cleaning up the mess from the party. The counters had been wiped clean, the dishwasher was running, and there were two large garbage bags, filled to over-flowing, sitting on the floor.

"Hey, Daniel, leave that 'till tomorrow. I still haven't given you my housewarming present." Jack walked down the three steps into the living room and came back with the skinny package cradled in his arms.

"Ah, the rifle." Daniel smiled at Jack's look of annoyance. "Here, let me open it." He reached for the package, but Jack held it back, just out of reach.

"Ahht..not here. Let's go up on the roof." Jack opened the refrigerator and took out two beers. He handed one to Daniel and then held the back door open for him. "After you."

Five minutes later they were standing on the small deck which Jack had built onto his roof eleven years ago. Daniel's roof now. "Hey, your chaise lounge is still up here! Did you get new cushions for it?" Jack sat down on the end of the redwood lounge and put Daniel's present on the cushion behind him.

"I did." Daniel knew Jack had something on his mind, so he found a seat on the railing and waited for his friend to come to the point. It took a couple of minutes, but finally Jack spoke.

"I always loved this house… I bought it right after Sara left me. You'd think that would give me bad feelings about the place, but that wasn't the case at all." Daniel twisted the cap off of his beer and took a sip. This could take a while, but he was a patient man.

"After I sobered up," he looked at Daniel to gauge his reaction to that admission, "I just threw myself into making it livable. It was something of a fixer-upper. Did you know that?" He could just barely see Daniel's slow nod in the shadows of the moonlit deck, and so he continued.

"I must've spent that whole year you were on Abydos pulling up carpet, refinishing floors, spackling, painting, building this deck…" He indicated the expanse of the rooftop getaway with a wave of his hand. "I'll tell you right now, it was a lot cheaper than therapy." A somewhat rueful laugh followed this statement. Daniel smiled from his shadowy corner of the deck. He understood all too well the need for that kind of therapy.

"When I was through with all the work, when all the paint cans had been thrown away, the scrap wood hauled off…I realized I was better, I was starting to heal." Jack paused to take a swig from his beer, leaving Daniel the choice of either making a comment or letting the silence continue. He chose the former, despite the definite lump starting to make its presence known in his throat.

"You put a lot of love in this house." Daniel had always known this, but felt he had to affirm what Jack had just revealed.

"I put a lot of _myself_ in this house," Jack amended. "And if I could choose… one person on Earth… or any other planet for that matter, to live here," He raised his beer in a toast and a salute. "it would be you, my friend."

Daniel smiled as he acknowledged Jack's beer salute with one of his own. To save Jack from sliding any deeper into introspection, probably an after-effect of the beer, he decided to lighten the mood. "Are you going to let me open my present now, or not?"

Jack handed the package to Daniel and waited for his reaction as he put his bottle on the railing and tore off the paper. "Your telescope! I knew that's what it was!"

"Come on, you did not."

"I did, too."

"Did not."

"Did, too!"

"Didn't!"

"Did!"

"D'oh!"

"D'oh!"

At that, they both started laughing. Jack produced the screws from the depths of his pocket, and began re-attaching the telescope to the stand which he had built into the deck so many years before. Before long, he had it in place and ready to use.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to use this in Georgetown," Daniel said, as he took off his glasses and focused the telescope on the surface of the moon. "Too many lights."

"Yeah, I guess I was just holding onto it, saving it for you." Jack stood up and stretched, in preparation for climbing back down the ladder. "And this way, I can use it whenever I come to visit."

"Absolutely, Jack." He stood up, too and waited for his turn at the ladder.

"Oh, and Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"Let's go out tomorrow and see about getting a better bed for the guest room. That one looks like it came from Goodwill."

"Yes, Jack."

The End


End file.
